Diamonds
Diamonds symbolize happiness and eternal love.
Buying a diamond for that special someone in your life is an exciting experience. To get the best value for your money you need to know what qualities affect a diamond’s worth. See our diamond grading information tabs below to build a better understanding of the 4 C’s – carat, clarity, colour and cut.
Visit us in store to view our dazzling collection of diamonds, the perfect gift for any special occasion.
Canadian Diamonds
Over the years, Canadian Diamonds have earned quite a reputation for quality and integrity.
Thanks to stringent government regulations in the Northwest Territories they are of extremely high quality. Our Canadian reputation for integrity means that Canadian diamond rings are competing well in the gem stone jewellery market.
Canadian diamonds are the only diamonds in the world monitored from the mine
throughout the manufacturing process. This means that unlike many diamonds that you can buy today, the Canadian diamond can be traced back to the diamond it was mined from. Proof of the diamond’s origin is essential to ensure your diamond has not contributed to conflict, misery and poverty.
Certified Canadian diamonds are accompanied with a Certificate of Authenticity under the Canadian Federal Government Code of Conduct guaranteeing its Canadian origin. Canadian diamonds are also etched with a serial number, as they are traceable, you know that they are not sold to fund terrorism in Angola or other African countries.
The 4 C’s of Diamond Grading
CARAT
Diamonds are weighed in carats and a carat is divided into 100 points. This means that a 50-point diamond would weigh 0.50 carats. If a diamond’s weight is greater than one carat, the number is expressed in carats and decimals (i.e. 1.08ct). Diamonds of equal weight can have very different price points depending on their clarity, colour and cut.
1 carat = 0.2 grams
*Note: carat is not to be confused with karat – a measure of gold purity.
Clarity
Diamonds are formed under extreme heat and pressure and as a result, they often contain unique birthmarks, either internal (inclusions) or external (blemishes). Clarity refers to the absence of these inclusions and blemishes. These birthmarks can affect a diamond’s value, as gems without blemishes and inclusions are rare.
FL | IF – Internally Flawless
Free from internal blemishes visible under 10x magnification, (small external details tolerated).
VVS-1 | VVS-2 – Very Very Slightly Included
Inclusions and/or external blemishes very difficult to locate under 10x magnification.
VS-1 | VS-2 – Very Slightly Included
Inclusions and/or external blemishes difficult to locate under 10x magnification.
SI-1 | SI-2 – Slightly Included
Inclusions and external blemishes very easy to locate under 10x magnification.
I-1 | I-2 | I-3 – Included
Heavy inclusions easy to locate with the naked eye.
Colour
Diamonds are valued by their colourlessness, meaning less colour has a higher worth. Most jewellery store diamonds range from colourless to near-colourless, with slight hints of yellow or brown. Many of these colour distinctions are invisible to the untrained eye, but can create vast differences in diamond quality and price.
Cut
There are three attributes to the cut of a diamond:
Brilliance: the total light reflected.
Fire: the dispersion of light into the colours of the spectrum.
Scintillation: the pattern of light and dark areas and the flashes of light, or sparkle, when a diamond is moved.
Diamond cut is often confused as shape. Cut actually refers to a diamond’s proportions, symmetry and polish as opposed to its shape which can be classified as round or fancy (i.e. marquise, oval, rectangle etc.).